I stared at the notice on NYU’s job and internship database. It was my second semester, freshman year, and high school graduation gifts were dwindling. I needed a job. Like, a job job. But as I fervently tossed resumés into cyberspace, I figured I’d try an offhand search for paid internships, too. This post appeared like a beacon of hope: a paid internship? Read more
A single mom with two kids was facing some hard financial times last December. She knew she was not going to be able to provide any gifts for Christmas. She heard about Help-Portrait, a movement of professional photographers and volunteers who give printed portraits to families in need. She brought her family to her local Nashua, New Hampshire, event the second week in December. Read more
I was recently talking with one my mentors (in ministry). He asked me what God has been teaching me. The question made me think pertty hard about what I’ve been learning from Him, not just what Ive been doing for Him. I’ve always been active in ministry. However, whether it’s ministry, work, or personal life, it’s not always about how much you do. After stepping back and brushing away all of the... Read more
My first entry-level professional job paid enough for a decent apartment with a sofa and TV. As far as I was concerned, this was the good life, and planning for the upcoming weekend was about as far out as I could comprehend. Luckily for me, I married a brave, visionary woman who waswise and encouraging and saw the greater potential for our future that I couldn’t always see for myself. Read more
It was the best of films, it was the worst of films. Transformers 4 opened recently to the worst critical reviews of any 2014 blockbuster… and the strongest three-day ticket sales of the year. The reviews were gleefully negative. Entertainment Weekly bemoaned the film as a “baroque orgy of ear-shredding, eye-dazzling destruction.” The Guardian dismissed it as “destruction porn.” The New York Daily News even hated on the robots themselves, as “clattering collections of caliginous junk.” Yet, in just three... Read more
It's the vacation that defines the meaning of vacation for me. Our family went to a timeshare cottage in a small beach community on the Gulf Coast of Florida nearly every Summer. We only lived about an hour away down the coast, but the trip always took us to an entirely different world. These trips were completely different than the times we visited places like Disney World, Sea World, and Cape Canaveral. Read more
My friend, Aurelia, and I had planned this holiday for weeks. Busy with our respective careers, we nevertheless arranged a mini vacation at Aurelia’s cabin in the foothills of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I had images of mountain waterfalls and leaping deer. In my mind, I was there already. Leaving early on a Thursday morning, the car packed with provisions, we drove out of Boston into... Read more
Jealousy. Envy. Coveteousness. Call it what you want. It's rooted in a lack of satisfaction with what you already have, and/or a resentment for what others have. Perceived scarcity driven by comparrison can eat you up inside, and drive negative feelings and behavior. I've been there. Constantly chasing what other people have. And it's a cycle that never ends. Read more
While I've always loved the smell and shiny packaging of new dreams, they usually choke to death in the cellophane. Whenever I'd bring one home, I'd fantasize about the plots and special features. But then I'd never bother to open them up because—well, my DVD player didn't work. The metal prongs on my cord were bent. Read more
I used to think a leader was the one person in the room with authority to get other people to do stuff. But that didn’t feel complete. Then I defined as leader simply as someone who has people following them. That didn’t seem like enough either. Additionally, it always seemed like people needed special qualifications to be a leader. Wrong again. Read more
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